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Post by Valhalla Erikson on Apr 30, 2024 17:14:45 GMT
First in the Phoenix Reborn seriesSummary: This is a revision of a ongoing web serial that chronicles an two elves, an Adventurer named Robin Winterbird & an Queen named Celest. They saved the world from a world ending being named Oblivion but their victory was bittersweet as most of the world was destroyed but the World Saints rewarded them by reseting the world. While the world is reset it is far different from the world that they once knew. Now the two must start their lives over as heroes, saving people while learning as much of the new world as they can.
A Whole New World Robin
Fireworks sparked and fizzled in the dark sky. Some of them were imbued with magic and sketched patterns that danced for a few seconds before they fizzled out like the others.
From the roof of the inn, Celestia—it’s Celest she goes by now—and I watched the fireworks. Each explosion of red reminded me of blood. The red tones coated Celest’s blonde hair in red. The lights were meant to be a celebration but there’s a bitterness behind it.
We had restored this world, but the cost was blood. Both of us had lost too many people. Now, the world was so much different than the one we’d lived in before the Oblivion threatened everything.
The World Saints had rewarded us as saviors of the world, but the reward was so shallow compared to everything that was destroyed.
“What are you thinking about, Robin?” Celest asked. Her voice held all the sorrow that I held inside my head. We were both lonely, but at least we had each other.
“Without my guild, I’m not sure what I’m going to do now,” I admitted.
Saving the world had cost me my place in the Adventure’s Guild. They were wiped out along with everything else.
I gripped the phoenix pendant necklace that hung from my neck. Kraven, my mentor at the guild, had almost been like a father to me. He’d given me this necklace. A metaphor to remind me that a phoenix should rise from the ashes. The symbol was more meaningful now that our world had been reduced to ashes and then reborn.
Celest and I were both like wings of the phoenix. We had helped the world rise from its ashes.
“I’m no longer a queen.” Celest leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. It didn’t matter that we hardly knew anything about each other. We were all we had.
Her blonde hair draped down my chest like a blanket that offered comfort. My shoulder offered her the same comfort in return. Celest asked, “Who am I without that responsibility?”
I’d spent my days pre-Oblivion as a lone wolf. My guild was like a family, but I adventured alone. Always. I didn’t want to take responsibility for anyone else. Now, I truly had no one. Except Celest. Until now I never saw her more than my queen. And I, her champion. In this moment I realize, we are the same.
The tattoo on my arm itched. A reminder of just how much I’d lost. A direwolf’s eyes looked back at me, but it wasn’t the shining eyes of Greywolf. The eyes were just ink embedded in my skin. It wasn’t the Oblivion that had taken Greywolf from me. The swamp of agony had consumed him. My closest companion was gone.
I squeezed the phoenix pendant tighter between my fingers until the metal nearly cut my skin. Celest and I had made the phoenix rise. Greywolf was gone. I was a lone wolf.
But maybe I didn’t have to be.
“Then…” I glanced back up at the sky. The fireworks were yellow now. Much better than blood red or sickly green. The yellow matched Celest’s hair and made my red strands look orange. “What would you say to an adventure?”
“An adventure?”
Celest had lost as much as I did, but her eyes shone with excited promise. Maybe to get over the loss of our old world, we needed to figure out this new one. Together.
“Yeah, an adventure.”
It was an offer I might regret the next morning. After all, the people of this world saw Celest as a goddess. I’d seen it on their faces and in the way we’d had to sneak past overeager citizens who wanted to shower her with gifts. The people would miss her.
In that moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the two of us had hope.
“I’ve never been much of an adventurer,” Celest confided in me. “Are you sure? I know you prefer to be alone.”
That was a true statement. I preferred to be alone. I hated the responsibility of looking out for others. Everything Celest did when she was a queen required her to be responsible for everything. Maybe if the two of us traveled together, I could adventure and Celest could be the responsible one.
“But you shouldn’t have to be alone,” I pointed out. “A new adventure would be good for us both. We could figure out this new world we’ve made. One adventure at a time.”
Celest smiled at me. She always had a beautiful smile.
We left for our first adventure two days later.
“Over here, Celest!” I waved her over.
At my side stood two thoroughbred horses, one a dappled gray and the other a rich bay color. The gray horse dipped its head and nuzzled my shoulder. When it started to chew at my red hair, I nudged its head away.
Celest was drawn to them right away. “Is this for our adventure or did you just want to race me?”
The bay horse lavished in Celest’s affectionate pets against its neck and between its dark eyes.
“For our adventure. It’ll be a lot of traveling,” I said and pulled myself up into the saddle of the gray horse.
“Can I name it?” Celest mounted the bay horse in one smooth motion. I was glad she already knew how to ride. It made my job easier.
“Sure.”
“Silas.”
The name almost made me laugh, but I didn’t want to offend her. “Silas it is.”
“What about you? Going to name it?”
I stroked the horse’s neck and considered its dappled gray coat. “Greywolf.”
Celest didn’t gasp, but her jaw fell slack. “Robin… are you sure?”
The tattoo on my arm itched again. It was a nice memorial of my beloved direwolf companion, but this was better. The spirit of Greywolf would endure as long as I lived.
“I’m sure. Oh, I have something for you.” I dug around in my shoulder bag until my fingers brushed against a thin metal chain. “Here.”
In my outstretched hand I held a necklace. It was similar to my phoenix pendant because of the inset red gem and the twisted metal casing. The chain was thinner than mine, something that suited Celest’s slender frame.
Even Celest noticed that the necklace held a resemblance to mine. “I couldn’t possibly… that yours, Robin.”
With my other hand I withdrew my phoenix pendant from the collar of my shirt and showed it to her. It was the same red gem and twisted metal, but there was something different about it. My pendant was smaller than it had been two nights ago at the fireworks display. The gem was no longer smooth. One edge was jagged like the gem had been split.
“You—”
“I took it to the jeweler. After the fireworks.” I placed the necklace in Celest’s hands. “They split it with a laser and then made both necklaces. This world is a phoenix, Celest. We’re the ones that brought it back.”
For a moment, Celest seemed too stunned to speak. Then her queenliness overtook her. She always had the words for everything. “Then thank you, Robin Winterbird, for this exquisite gift. I love it.”
We set out on our journey after that. It wouldn’t be long before we found an adventure worthy of our talents. We’d already faced too much together and had come out unscathed. Just the two of us.
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Post by superkamiguy1 on May 1, 2024 1:05:46 GMT
First in the Flight of The Phoenix seriesSummary: This is a revision of a ongoing web serial that chronicles an two elves, an Adventurer named Robin Winterbird & an Queen named Celest. They saved the world from a world ending being named Oblivion but their victory was bittersweet as most of the world was destroyed but the World Saints rewarded them by reseting the world. While the world is reset it is far different from the world that they once knew. Now the two must start their lives over as heroes, saving people while learning as much of the new world as they can.
A Whole New World Robin
Fireworks sparked and fizzled in the dark sky. Some of them were imbued with magic and sketched patterns that danced for a few seconds before they fizzled out like the others.
From the roof of the inn, Celestia—it’s Celest now—and I watched the fireworks. Each explosion of red reminded me of blood. The red tones coated Celest’s blonde hair in red. The lights were meant to be a celebration.
We had restored this world, but the cost was blood. Both of us had lost too many people. Now, the world was so much different than the one we’d lived in before the Oblivion threatened everything.
The World Saints had rewarded us as saviors of the world, but the reward was so shallow compared to everything that was destroyed.
“What are you thinking about, Robin?” Celest asked. Her voice held all the sorrow that I held inside my head. We were both lonely, but at least we had each other.
“Without my guild, I’m not sure what I’m going to do now,” I admitted.
Saving the world had cost me my place in the Adventure’s Guild. They were wiped out along with everything else.
I gripped the phoenix pendant necklace that hung from my neck. Kraven, my mentor at the guild, had almost been like a father to me. He’d given me this necklace. A metaphor to remind me that a phoenix should rise from the ashes. The symbol was more meaningful now that our world had been reduced to ashes and then reborn.
Celest and I were both like wings of the phoenix. We had helped the world rise from its ashes.
“I’m no longer a queen.” Celest leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. It didn’t matter that we hardly knew anything about each other. We were all we had.
Her blonde hair draped down my chest like a blanket that offered comfort. My shoulder offered her the same comfort in return. Celest asked, “Who am I without that responsibility?”
I’d spent my days pre-Oblivion as a lone wolf. My guild was like a family, but I adventured alone. Always. I didn’t want to take responsibility for anyone else. Now, I truly had no one. Except Celest. Until now I never saw her more than my queen. And I, her champion. In this moment I realize, we are the same.
The tattoo on my arm itched. A reminder of just how much I’d lost. A direwolf’s eyes looked back at me, but it wasn’t the shining eyes of Greywolf. The eyes were just ink embedded in my skin. It wasn’t the Oblivion that had taken Greywolf from me. The swamp of agony had consumed him. My closest companion was gone.
I squeezed the phoenix pendant tighter between my fingers until the metal nearly cut my skin. Celest and I had made the phoenix rise. Greywolf was gone. I was a lone wolf.
But maybe I didn’t have to be.
“Then…” I glanced back up at the sky. The fireworks were yellow now. Much better than blood red or sickly green. The yellow matched Celest’s hair and made my red strands look orange. “What would you say to an adventure?”
“An adventure?”
Celest had lost as much as I did, but her eyes shone with excited promise. Maybe to get over the loss of our old world, we needed to figure out this new one. Together.
“Yeah, an adventure.”
It was an offer I might regret the next morning. After all, the people of this world saw Celest as a goddess. I’d seen it on their faces and in the way we’d had to sneak past overeager citizens who wanted to shower her with gifts. The people would miss her.
In that moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the two of us had hope.
“I’ve never been much of an adventurer,” Celest confided in me. “Are you sure? I know you prefer to be alone.”
That was a true statement. I preferred to be alone. I hated the responsibility of looking out for others. Everything Celest did when she was a queen required her to be responsible for everything. Maybe if the two of us traveled together, I could adventure and Celest could be the responsible one.
“But you shouldn’t have to be alone,” I pointed out. “A new adventure would be good for us both. We could figure out this new world we’ve made. One adventure at a time.”
Celest smiled at me. She always had a beautiful smile.
We left for our first adventure two days later.
“Over here, Celest!” I waved her over.
At my side stood two thoroughbred horses, one a dappled gray and the other a rich bay color. The gray horse dipped its head and nuzzled my shoulder. When it started to chew at my red hair, I nudged its head away.
Celest was drawn to them right away. “Is this for our adventure or did you just want to race me?”
The bay horse lavished in Celest’s affectionate pets against its neck and between its dark eyes.
“For our adventure. It’ll be a lot of traveling,” I said and pulled myself up into the saddle of the gray horse.
“Can I name it?” Celest mounted the bay horse in one smooth motion. I was glad she already knew how to ride. It made my job easier.
“Sure.”
“Silas.”
The name almost made me laugh, but I didn’t want to offend her. “Silas it is.”
“What about you? Going to name it?”
I stroked the horse’s neck and considered its dappled gray coat. “Greywolf.”
Celest didn’t gasp, but her jaw fell slack. “Robin… are you sure?”
The tattoo on my arm itched again. It was a nice memorial of my beloved direwolf companion, but this was better. The spirit of Greywolf would endure as long as I lived.
“I’m sure. Oh, I have something for you.” I dug around in my shoulder bag until my fingers brushed against a thin metal chain. “Here.”
In my outstretched hand I held a necklace. It was similar to my phoenix pendant because of the inset red gem and the twisted metal casing. The chain was thinner than mine, something that suited Celest’s slender frame.
Even Celest noticed that the necklace held a resemblance to mine. “I couldn’t possibly… that yours, Robin.”
With my other hand I withdrew my phoenix pendant from the collar of my shirt and showed it to her. It was the same red gem and twisted metal, but there was something different about it. My pendant was smaller than it had been two nights ago at the fireworks display. The gem was no longer smooth. One edge was jagged like the gem had been split.
“You—”
“I took it to the jeweler. After the fireworks.” I placed the necklace in Celest’s hands. “They split it with a laser and then made both necklaces. This world is a phoenix, Celest. We’re the ones that brought it back.”
For a moment, Celest seemed too stunned to speak. Then her queenliness overtook her. She always had the words for everything. “Then thank you, Robin Winterbird, for this exquisite gift. I love it.”
We set out on our journey after that. It wouldn’t be long before we found an adventure worthy of our talents. We’d already faced too much together and had come out unscathed. Just the two of us.
A fantastic opening to a fantastical series! Funnily enough? The start of the series kinda reminds me of Friern. Maybe it's the Elves Protags, maybe it's the secondary journey, but the idea of the Veteran Adventurers stepping out to go on yet another adventure, albeit in a Reborn World rather than one that has moved in the years the Protag has been gone, hits a similar vibe to me. BUT ANYWAY! This really is a fantastic opening. Somber but hopeful and sets up an amazing story of traveling a brave new world and seeing what it has waiting for them. This is amazing man. The horse is hilarious too.  |
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 1, 2024 1:34:42 GMT
A Hunting We Will Go Robin
Months of adventuring with Celest had taught me one very important thing: adventures always found us when we tried to rest.
Most of our adventures weren’t anything difficult. An old woman who needed help finding her shoes. A boy who insisted that he needed us to find the best-looking stick for a pretend sword. A young mother who needed a babysitter for a night. The list went on. Rarely anything life-threatening.
This was our new world. Not everyone was happy, but people rarely had news of anything dangerous.
Still, each small adventure always appeared during days of rest. When we’d go into markets looking for sweets or when we took Silas and Greywolf out for a fun ride.
One night, Celest and I were setting up our tents for camp.
She loved watching the stars and it was more difficult to see them with all the lights in towns. I didn’t mind indulging in this. Camping out reminded me of my time in the guild when it was a point of pride to not pay for any accommodations in inns. Spending money on comfort wasn’t the way of the guild. I had next expected Celest, a young woman who’d once been a queen, to like sleeping in tents.
The trees around us rustled. A whole murder of crows took flight into the dusk sky, cawing at whatever creature had intruded on their forest.
“What was that?” Celest asked me.
“A deer probably spooked them,” I explained.
Celest sounded wary, so I tried not to sound judgmental. Even if she’d grown to appreciate sleeping outside, she was still a queen through-and-through regardless of the fact that she no longer held the title.
Minutes passed. The forest was still.
Balls of lights blinked into existence. Dozens of will-o’-wisps converged on our camp. The creatures of light posed no threat, so long as someone didn’t follow them deep into the forest and lose their way. In fact, it seemed like the wisps had followed us here instead. Strange.
Celest squeaked, “Robin, what are they?”
“Just will-o’-wisps. You’ve never seen them before?”
“No. I’ve heard of them though. Are we in danger?”
I shook my head. “They’re acting strange, but I don’t think so.”
Then Celest addressed the wisps directly, “Well, dear wisps. Is there anything my friend and I can help you with?”
Speaking to wisps was nonsensical. I’d never known a wisp to respond. I didn’t even think they could understand. They often acted as lures for more dangerous creatures. A trick of coincidence rather than spite.
“They can’t understand you,” I huffed. Maybe I was getting tired.
Before I could crawl into my tent and shut out the world for another night, the wisps all started blinking rapidly. They weren’t all in sync with each other, and their lights ranged from blue to yellow to red. The multi-colored out-of-sync blinking had a strobe effect that made it hard to see anything. My head ached.
“I see,” Celest said.
I couldn’t see anything. I was about to say so when the wisps stopped their blinking, returning to their solid soft light. It was easier to see now. My vision still swam with phantom flashes.
Celest nodded, a somber weight behind the movement like her head had grown too heavy. “Thank you for letting us know. We’d be happy to help.”
The wisps dispersed, leaving us alone in the dim dusk light.
“What was that?” I rubbed at my eyes until the visual confetti went away.
“Their blinking was like some kind of code. Did you not understand it?”
I shook my head.
Celest reached up and fidgeted with her necklace. I swear I felt mine warm against my chest, like she was holding my pendant instead and warming it in her hands. “How strange… Maybe they’re elemental beings and that’s why I understood. They said a witch is terrorizing this area. She’s kidnapped a few children and no one has seen them since.”
‘New world, same old problem’ I thought bitterly. Before I joined the Guild I grew up in the streets. When you’re an orphaned kid trying to get by there’s all sorts of individuals that wanted to take advantage of you. Whenever kids are being threatened, I take that personally. |
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Post by superkamiguy1 on May 1, 2024 1:59:37 GMT
A Hunting We Will Go Robin
Months of adventuring with Celest had taught me one very important thing: adventures always found us when we tried to rest.
Most of our adventures weren’t anything difficult. An old woman who needed help finding her shoes. A boy who insisted that he needed us to find the best-looking stick for a pretend sword. A young mother who needed a babysitter for a night. The list went on. Rarely anything life-threatening.
This was our new world. Not everyone was happy, but people rarely had news of anything dangerous.
Still, each small adventure always appeared during days of rest. When we’d go into markets looking for sweets or when we took Silas and Greywolf out for a fun ride.
One night, Celest and I were setting up our tents for camp.
She loved watching the stars and it was more difficult to see them with all the lights in towns. I didn’t mind indulging in this. Camping out reminded me of my time in the guild when it was a point of pride to not pay for any accommodations in inns. Spending money on comfort wasn’t the way of the guild. I had next expected Celest, a young woman who’d once been a queen, to like sleeping in tents.
The trees around us rustled. A whole murder of crows took flight into the dusk sky, cawing at whatever creature had intruded on their forest.
“What was that?” Celest asked me.
“A deer probably spooked them,” I explained.
Celest sounded wary, so I tried not to sound judgmental. Even if she’d grown to appreciate sleeping outside, she was still a queen through-and-through regardless of the fact that she no longer held the title.
Minutes passed. The forest was still.
Balls of lights blinked into existence. Dozens of will-o’-wisps converged on our camp. The creatures of light posed no threat, so long as someone didn’t follow them deep into the forest and lose their way. In fact, it seemed like the wisps had followed us here instead. Strange.
Celest squeaked, “Robin, what are they?”
“Just will-o’-wisps. You’ve never seen them before?”
“No. I’ve heard of them though. Are we in danger?”
I shook my head. “They’re acting strange, but I don’t think so.”
Then Celest addressed the wisps directly, “Well, dear wisps. Is there anything my friend and I can help you with?”
Speaking to wisps was nonsensical. I’d never known a wisp to respond. I didn’t even think they could understand. They often acted as lures for more dangerous creatures. A trick of coincidence rather than spite.
“They can’t understand you,” I huffed. Maybe I was getting tired.
Before I could crawl into my tent and shut out the world for another night, the wisps all started blinking rapidly. They weren’t all in sync with each other, and their lights ranged from blue to yellow to red. The multi-colored out-of-sync blinking had a strobe effect that made it hard to see anything. My head ached.
“I see,” Celest said.
I couldn’t see anything. I was about to say so when the wisps stopped their blinking, returning to their solid soft light. It was easier to see now. My vision still swam with phantom flashes.
Celest nodded, a somber weight behind the movement like her head had grown too heavy. “Thank you for letting us know. We’d be happy to help.”
The wisps dispersed, leaving us alone in the dim dusk light.
“What was that?” I rubbed at my eyes until the visual confetti went away.
“Their blinking was like some kind of code. Did you not understand it?”
I shook my head.
Celest reached up and fidgeted with her necklace. I swear I felt mine warm against my chest, like she was holding my pendant instead and warming it in her hands. “How strange… Maybe they’re elemental beings and that’s why I understood. They said a witch is terrorizing this area. She’s kidnapped a few children and no one has seen them since.”
‘New world, same old problem’ I thought bitterly. Before I joined the Guild I grew up in the streets. When you’re an orphaned kid trying to get by there’s all sorts of individuals that wanted to take advantage of you. Whenever kids are being threatened, I take that personally.And thus the quest begins! It's a good lesson too: Sometimes the smalllest most unassuming life forms can be the ones that'll reveal the secrets of the world to you! Celest's talents, both in sorcery and understanding the nature of the world around her, are going to be very useful in their quests moving forward. |
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 1, 2024 4:09:20 GMT
In the following days we looked for clues to the Witch’s whereabouts.
We stopped in a few towns on our journey until we finally found a clue in one. In this
town, we were approached by parents whose children were missing. They willingly came
forward to tell us about their missing children and beg for our help.
“His name is Billie. He’s only ten. Please help us.”
“I adopted her, but she means everything to me after my wife died. Get her back, please.”
“Damn Witch took my son. I searched everywhere. The only thing I found was northeast
of here. It’s Harry’s left shoe. He must be suffering without it.”
Harry’s left shoe was our first clue since the wisps. That, and a list of at least five missing
children.
Wherever we went, Celest calmed worried mothers, concerned fathers, and anyone who
missed the lost children. The two of us understood loss better than anyone else, I thought, but
Celest was skilled at offering reassurance. This was why Celest had been considered a
near-goddess.
Once we passed the towns, we headed northeast to see if we could find anything more
substantial than a boy’s lost shoe.
This area was also heavily forested, but the air was colder and more humid. All my
clothes felt damp. Despite the humidity, the region didn’t smell swampy, which I was thankful
for. I didn’t want to see a swamp again after losing Greywolf if I could help it. The air smelled
clean and refreshing, but it left an unpleasant coating of water in my lungs. Like a free preview
of death-by-drowning.
“I like it here,” I said.
At the same time, Celest said, “I don’t like it here.”
We both looked at each other. That was odd. Normally, we agreed.
“The air is kind of refreshing. Like a cold shower, or the ocean.” What was strange was
that we hadn’t seen any water sources or any mosquitos.
Celest shook her head like she couldn’t believe me or that she thought I was joking. She
even smiled a little. “It feels oppressive. Like something pressing on my chest until I can’t
breathe. I feel lightheaded. My magic isn’t even sensing any real water, only the dirt beneath us.”
Now that she mentioned it, I’d been feeling similar before. How had I forgotten? I paused
to take stock of our surroundings again. Celest was right, something was strange about this place.
But what? What did she mean that there wasn’t any water?
Celest figured it out first. “It’s hiding something. Relaxing us with false comfort. But it’s
just a mask. There’s something underneath that isn’t pretty.”
I’d recognized that earlier. The strangeness. Why not now?
“We’re getting closer to it.” I breathed in. She was right, my lungs did feel heavy. Like
drowning. That’s what I’d thought earlier. Except there was no water, not really. “The closer we
get, the more it lies.”
“Do you think it’s the Witch’s lair? Or something else?” Celest asked.
This was our first dangerous adventure. Her concern was understandable.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Whatever it is doesn’t stand a chance against us.”
Then Celest laughed, a laugh as bright and sunny as her hair, “I’m not afraid, Robin. Not
for myself, at least. I want to find those children.”
Right. It wasn’t just about fighting off the bad thing. It was about preserving the good.
Having Celest around reminded me of that. During my time in the guild, I’d been more
concerned with stopping the problem. Celest seemed far more concerned about the victims.
At least neither of us cared for the fame. When the World Saints rewarded us, it just
cemented that I didn’t care about recognition for my good deeds. I just wanted to help. We’d
fought hard to create this new world. I wanted to keep the world good. With Celest, keeping the
world good didn’t seem impossible.
“Let’s push forward. This place’s lies can’t fool us any longer.”
The statement was optimistic, but it proved true. As we continued north, the air took on a
sweet scent and the trees looked like they’d give good hugs. Despite the appealing scenery
changes, we knew it was all fake now and it couldn’t force us to turn around.
A few minutes later, anything good about this place disappeared. The sweet smell turned
acrid and smoky like burning hair or hot morning breath. The stench made my eyes water and I
nearly gagged, but there was no time to lose my lunch. We had to keep going.
Each step forward was a struggle. We didn’t make it far into the horrid place before
Greywolf and Silas whinnied their protest and dug their hooves into the ground. The horses
refused to move and we had to leave them behind. They were trained animals and would be there
for us when we came back. It still felt like leaving behind friends.
The oppressive sensation in my lungs no longer felt like drowning. It was closer to
swallowing fire. I imagined that my lungs were shriveled and dried like raisins. Each breath was
shallow because the heat made it impossible for my lungs to expand.
Celest seemed to be handling the change better than me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Here,” Celest reached over and grabbed my phoenix pendant. Her hand pulsed with
magic and the twisted metal around the gem spun and reshaped itself. “The phoenix is a fire bird,
Robin.”
“Yeah. And?”
Whatever Celest had done with her elemental magic felt much better, but I wasn’t sure
what the phoenix or the pendant had to do with anything.
“I was right that there’s no water here. I couldn’t see it until we passed through the
barrier, but everything here is fire.”
Now that I took a second look, she was right. The broken trees didn’t bleed sap, just thin
strings of liquid fire. The air sparkled with embers. Below my feet, the dirt smoked.
Celest’s magic protected me against the worst of it.
This hellscape was certainly magic. Designed to be more uncomfortable than deadly. But
that made sense. If the Witch was stealing children, she probably wanted to keep them alive for
some reason.
We just had to figure out that reason and stop the Witch.
There was a thick screen of smoke in front of us as we walked, so thick it almost looked
solid. Celest’s elemental powers carved through the screen.
Then, we were face to face with the Witch’s lair.
The hair on the back of my neck raised, the same way Greywolf’s hackles used to raise in
the face of danger. Celest’s arms were covered in goosebumps. We looked at each other. I
nodded.
We both stepped forward into the smoke. The screen closed behind us and a wave of heat
seared our backs.
“You’re going to regret that!”
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 1, 2024 4:10:52 GMT
First in the Flight of The Phoenix seriesSummary: This is a revision of a ongoing web serial that chronicles an two elves, an Adventurer named Robin Winterbird & an Queen named Celest. They saved the world from a world ending being named Oblivion but their victory was bittersweet as most of the world was destroyed but the World Saints rewarded them by reseting the world. While the world is reset it is far different from the world that they once knew. Now the two must start their lives over as heroes, saving people while learning as much of the new world as they can.
A Whole New World Robin
Fireworks sparked and fizzled in the dark sky. Some of them were imbued with magic and sketched patterns that danced for a few seconds before they fizzled out like the others.
From the roof of the inn, Celestia—it’s Celest now—and I watched the fireworks. Each explosion of red reminded me of blood. The red tones coated Celest’s blonde hair in red. The lights were meant to be a celebration.
We had restored this world, but the cost was blood. Both of us had lost too many people. Now, the world was so much different than the one we’d lived in before the Oblivion threatened everything.
The World Saints had rewarded us as saviors of the world, but the reward was so shallow compared to everything that was destroyed.
“What are you thinking about, Robin?” Celest asked. Her voice held all the sorrow that I held inside my head. We were both lonely, but at least we had each other.
“Without my guild, I’m not sure what I’m going to do now,” I admitted.
Saving the world had cost me my place in the Adventure’s Guild. They were wiped out along with everything else.
I gripped the phoenix pendant necklace that hung from my neck. Kraven, my mentor at the guild, had almost been like a father to me. He’d given me this necklace. A metaphor to remind me that a phoenix should rise from the ashes. The symbol was more meaningful now that our world had been reduced to ashes and then reborn.
Celest and I were both like wings of the phoenix. We had helped the world rise from its ashes.
“I’m no longer a queen.” Celest leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. It didn’t matter that we hardly knew anything about each other. We were all we had.
Her blonde hair draped down my chest like a blanket that offered comfort. My shoulder offered her the same comfort in return. Celest asked, “Who am I without that responsibility?”
I’d spent my days pre-Oblivion as a lone wolf. My guild was like a family, but I adventured alone. Always. I didn’t want to take responsibility for anyone else. Now, I truly had no one. Except Celest. Until now I never saw her more than my queen. And I, her champion. In this moment I realize, we are the same.
The tattoo on my arm itched. A reminder of just how much I’d lost. A direwolf’s eyes looked back at me, but it wasn’t the shining eyes of Greywolf. The eyes were just ink embedded in my skin. It wasn’t the Oblivion that had taken Greywolf from me. The swamp of agony had consumed him. My closest companion was gone.
I squeezed the phoenix pendant tighter between my fingers until the metal nearly cut my skin. Celest and I had made the phoenix rise. Greywolf was gone. I was a lone wolf.
But maybe I didn’t have to be.
“Then…” I glanced back up at the sky. The fireworks were yellow now. Much better than blood red or sickly green. The yellow matched Celest’s hair and made my red strands look orange. “What would you say to an adventure?”
“An adventure?”
Celest had lost as much as I did, but her eyes shone with excited promise. Maybe to get over the loss of our old world, we needed to figure out this new one. Together.
“Yeah, an adventure.”
It was an offer I might regret the next morning. After all, the people of this world saw Celest as a goddess. I’d seen it on their faces and in the way we’d had to sneak past overeager citizens who wanted to shower her with gifts. The people would miss her.
In that moment, it didn’t matter. What mattered was that the two of us had hope.
“I’ve never been much of an adventurer,” Celest confided in me. “Are you sure? I know you prefer to be alone.”
That was a true statement. I preferred to be alone. I hated the responsibility of looking out for others. Everything Celest did when she was a queen required her to be responsible for everything. Maybe if the two of us traveled together, I could adventure and Celest could be the responsible one.
“But you shouldn’t have to be alone,” I pointed out. “A new adventure would be good for us both. We could figure out this new world we’ve made. One adventure at a time.”
Celest smiled at me. She always had a beautiful smile.
We left for our first adventure two days later.
“Over here, Celest!” I waved her over.
At my side stood two thoroughbred horses, one a dappled gray and the other a rich bay color. The gray horse dipped its head and nuzzled my shoulder. When it started to chew at my red hair, I nudged its head away.
Celest was drawn to them right away. “Is this for our adventure or did you just want to race me?”
The bay horse lavished in Celest’s affectionate pets against its neck and between its dark eyes.
“For our adventure. It’ll be a lot of traveling,” I said and pulled myself up into the saddle of the gray horse.
“Can I name it?” Celest mounted the bay horse in one smooth motion. I was glad she already knew how to ride. It made my job easier.
“Sure.”
“Silas.”
The name almost made me laugh, but I didn’t want to offend her. “Silas it is.”
“What about you? Going to name it?”
I stroked the horse’s neck and considered its dappled gray coat. “Greywolf.”
Celest didn’t gasp, but her jaw fell slack. “Robin… are you sure?”
The tattoo on my arm itched again. It was a nice memorial of my beloved direwolf companion, but this was better. The spirit of Greywolf would endure as long as I lived.
“I’m sure. Oh, I have something for you.” I dug around in my shoulder bag until my fingers brushed against a thin metal chain. “Here.”
In my outstretched hand I held a necklace. It was similar to my phoenix pendant because of the inset red gem and the twisted metal casing. The chain was thinner than mine, something that suited Celest’s slender frame.
Even Celest noticed that the necklace held a resemblance to mine. “I couldn’t possibly… that yours, Robin.”
With my other hand I withdrew my phoenix pendant from the collar of my shirt and showed it to her. It was the same red gem and twisted metal, but there was something different about it. My pendant was smaller than it had been two nights ago at the fireworks display. The gem was no longer smooth. One edge was jagged like the gem had been split.
“You—”
“I took it to the jeweler. After the fireworks.” I placed the necklace in Celest’s hands. “They split it with a laser and then made both necklaces. This world is a phoenix, Celest. We’re the ones that brought it back.”
For a moment, Celest seemed too stunned to speak. Then her queenliness overtook her. She always had the words for everything. “Then thank you, Robin Winterbird, for this exquisite gift. I love it.”
We set out on our journey after that. It wouldn’t be long before we found an adventure worthy of our talents. We’d already faced too much together and had come out unscathed. Just the two of us.
A fantastic opening to a fantastical series! Funnily enough? The start of the series kinda reminds me of Friern. Maybe it's the Elves Protags, maybe it's the secondary journey, but the idea of the Veteran Adventurers stepping out to go on yet another adventure, albeit in a Reborn World rather than one that has moved in the years the Protag has been gone, hits a similar vibe to me. BUT ANYWAY! This really is a fantastic opening. Somber but hopeful and sets up an amazing story of traveling a brave new world and seeing what it has waiting for them. This is amazing man. The horse is hilarious too. Going to check the series out. Sounds intriguing! Night  |
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Post by superkamiguy1 on May 2, 2024 1:48:35 GMT
In the following days we looked for clues to the Witch’s whereabouts.
We stopped in a few towns on our journey until we finally found a clue in one. In this
town, we were approached by parents whose children were missing. They willingly came
forward to tell us about their missing children and beg for our help.
“His name is Billie. He’s only ten. Please help us.”
“I adopted her, but she means everything to me after my wife died. Get her back, please.”
“Damn Witch took my son. I searched everywhere. The only thing I found was northeast
of here. It’s Harry’s left shoe. He must be suffering without it.”
Harry’s left shoe was our first clue since the wisps. That, and a list of at least five missing
children.
Wherever we went, Celest calmed worried mothers, concerned fathers, and anyone who
missed the lost children. The two of us understood loss better than anyone else, I thought, but
Celest was skilled at offering reassurance. This was why Celest had been considered a
near-goddess.
Once we passed the towns, we headed northeast to see if we could find anything more
substantial than a boy’s lost shoe.
This area was also heavily forested, but the air was colder and more humid. All my
clothes felt damp. Despite the humidity, the region didn’t smell swampy, which I was thankful
for. I didn’t want to see a swamp again after losing Greywolf if I could help it. The air smelled
clean and refreshing, but it left an unpleasant coating of water in my lungs. Like a free preview
of death-by-drowning.
“I like it here,” I said.
At the same time, Celest said, “I don’t like it here.”
We both looked at each other. That was odd. Normally, we agreed.
“The air is kind of refreshing. Like a cold shower, or the ocean.” What was strange was
that we hadn’t seen any water sources or any mosquitos.
Celest shook her head like she couldn’t believe me or that she thought I was joking. She
even smiled a little. “It feels oppressive. Like something pressing on my chest until I can’t
breathe. I feel lightheaded. My magic isn’t even sensing any real water, only the dirt beneath us.”
Now that she mentioned it, I’d been feeling similar before. How had I forgotten? I paused
to take stock of our surroundings again. Celest was right, something was strange about this place.
But what? What did she mean that there wasn’t any water?
Celest figured it out first. “It’s hiding something. Relaxing us with false comfort. But it’s
just a mask. There’s something underneath that isn’t pretty.”
I’d recognized that earlier. The strangeness. Why not now?
“We’re getting closer to it.” I breathed in. She was right, my lungs did feel heavy. Like
drowning. That’s what I’d thought earlier. Except there was no water, not really. “The closer we
get, the more it lies.”
“Do you think it’s the Witch’s lair? Or something else?” Celest asked.
This was our first dangerous adventure. Her concern was understandable.
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “Whatever it is doesn’t stand a chance against us.”
Then Celest laughed, a laugh as bright and sunny as her hair, “I’m not afraid, Robin. Not
for myself, at least. I want to find those children.”
Right. It wasn’t just about fighting off the bad thing. It was about preserving the good.
Having Celest around reminded me of that. During my time in the guild, I’d been more
concerned with stopping the problem. Celest seemed far more concerned about the victims.
At least neither of us cared for the fame. When the World Saints rewarded us, it just
cemented that I didn’t care about recognition for my good deeds. I just wanted to help. We’d
fought hard to create this new world. I wanted to keep the world good. With Celest, keeping the
world good didn’t seem impossible.
“Let’s push forward. This place’s lies can’t fool us any longer.”
The statement was optimistic, but it proved true. As we continued north, the air took on a
sweet scent and the trees looked like they’d give good hugs. Despite the appealing scenery
changes, we knew it was all fake now and it couldn’t force us to turn around.
A few minutes later, anything good about this place disappeared. The sweet smell turned
acrid and smoky like burning hair or hot morning breath. The stench made my eyes water and I
nearly gagged, but there was no time to lose my lunch. We had to keep going.
Each step forward was a struggle. We didn’t make it far into the horrid place before
Greywolf and Silas whinnied their protest and dug their hooves into the ground. The horses
refused to move and we had to leave them behind. They were trained animals and would be there
for us when we came back. It still felt like leaving behind friends.
The oppressive sensation in my lungs no longer felt like drowning. It was closer to
swallowing fire. I imagined that my lungs were shriveled and dried like raisins. Each breath was
shallow because the heat made it impossible for my lungs to expand.
Celest seemed to be handling the change better than me.
“How are you feeling?”
“Here,” Celest reached over and grabbed my phoenix pendant. Her hand pulsed with
magic and the twisted metal around the gem spun and reshaped itself. “The phoenix is a fire bird,
Robin.”
“Yeah. And?”
Whatever Celest had done with her elemental magic felt much better, but I wasn’t sure
what the phoenix or the pendant had to do with anything.
“I was right that there’s no water here. I couldn’t see it until we passed through the
barrier, but everything here is fire.”
Now that I took a second look, she was right. The broken trees didn’t bleed sap, just thin
strings of liquid fire. The air sparkled with embers. Below my feet, the dirt smoked.
Celest’s magic protected me against the worst of it.
This hellscape was certainly magic. Designed to be more uncomfortable than deadly. But
that made sense. If the Witch was stealing children, she probably wanted to keep them alive for
some reason.
We just had to figure out that reason and stop the Witch.
There was a thick screen of smoke in front of us as we walked, so thick it almost looked
solid. Celest’s elemental powers carved through the screen.
Then, we were face to face with the Witch’s lair.
The hair on the back of my neck raised, the same way Greywolf’s hackles used to raise in
the face of danger. Celest’s arms were covered in goosebumps. We looked at each other. I
nodded.
We both stepped forward into the smoke. The screen closed behind us and a wave of heat
seared our backs.
“You’re going to regret that!” Interesting scene! The illusions were clever and something you'd definitely expect a witch in a fantasy setting to pull off. Celest is an absolute master for being able to tell that they're being messed with, speaks volumes about her power. The witch is certainly dangerous as well, the illusions and fire blasts have more than proven that, but at the very least they know what they're up against now they'll be prepared for her. |
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 2, 2024 2:36:09 GMT
The Witch's Cauldron
Gabrielle
The Witch had kept me trapped in this cage for maybe a week. It was impossible to
accurately count the days when the smoke created clouds that blocked out the sun. Every
perceived day was bleak.
I itched at the red, raw skin beneath the too tight metal bracelet around my right wrist.
The Witch had imbued it with some sort of magic that dampened my powers. Magic pushed at
my insides, demanding release, but this bracelet prohibited me from using any power.
My skin crawled like there were ants in my pores. Staying stuck in this form for too long
made me antsy, at least. Maybe I’d become an ant first if I could ever get free again.
There were voices. Voices that didn’t belong to me or the other children. Even the newest
of us had learned to be silent by now. The Witch hated when we made any noise. The voices
were very soft, either off in the distance or beyond the veil of smoke.
A crash.
Something heavy and metal slammed into my cage. I jumped and hit my head. My eyes
misted with tears. What was going on?
“You’re going to regret that!” The Witch screeched.
When I could see through my tears, I saw that a large upturned metal pot rested against
the side of my cage. The Witch must have thrown it at me.
Regret what? I hadn’t done anything.
Then I saw a red-haired, pointy-eared warrior slash a sword against the Witch. She
screeched again and fought back.
I perked up in my cage. The other children in their cages spoke at first in hushed whispers
and then cheered on the intruder as he struck blow after blow against the Witch.
Another intruder joined the fray of the fight. She was a blonde young woman with pointed ears who almost looked like some kind of goddess. There was an aura about her that spoke of divine insight and power. Every time the warrior fought the Witch back with his blade, this goddess slammed bolts of elemental magic into the Witch’s chest.
They both fought well, even though the blonde woman didn’t seem combat-trained. She wielded her magic well. I’d always wanted to meet an elemental. Their powers were so much different than my ability to shapeshift into different animal forms.
The Witch fought back with her blood magic. She’d stolen blood from some of the kidnapped children, but not all of us. I couldn’t quite understand what she was doing with the rest of us, but the longer we stayed here the weaker we felt.
“You’ll never take them!” The Witch hissed.
There was nothing outwardly terrifying about the Witch. She appeared like a woman in her thirties, almost the same age as my mom is… was. She wasn’t ugly nor was she overly beautiful. At a first glance, her appearance was almost comforting. That was how she’d been able to take so many children. Some of us she’d stolen, fought for. Some of the other children had been tricked and lured into her lair.
Us children used our voices. We screamed like our voices held magic to aid our intruders in defeating the Witch. If I only had access to my magic, I’d become a lion or a bear and tear the Witch apart with my own claws.
With her blood magic, the Witch cast spells that ripped holes in the warrior’s clothes. His shirt was shreds in seconds.
The blonde intruder used her elemental magic to conjure water. It was an impressive feat since this place was created out of fire. The water sizzled and evaporated into steam. Still, the blonde tried again, a sphere of water forming in front of her.
When the Witch was properly distracted by the warrior, who’d managed to slice deep into her arm, the blonde threw the sphere of water. The water drenched the warrior and the Witch. A bloodcurdling scream left the Witch’s mouth. The warrior looked refreshed and confident as he slashed again.
The Witch managed to dodge the slash, but her face started to melt. In a few moments, the Witch that had looked like a woman in her thirties suddenly looked much older. Perhaps a hundred years old. Her skin was sagging and wrinkly. The skin draped over her skeleton like it was no more than fabric. No muscle and no fat, just a skeleton covered in flesh fabric.
Somehow, the Witch had made herself look younger.
I thought about how weak I felt. How, the longer I stayed here the weaker I seemed to feel. The others felt it too, I could tell. Either from giving blood or… whatever she was taking from us.
It should have occurred to me sooner that she took children for a reason. The blood of the more innocent children, the youngest of us, fueled her magic. For the rest of us, our souls fed her youthful disguise.
Hopefully, we’d all free soon and recover what the Witch had taken from us.
The red-haired warrior pushed the Witch back until she was cornered against her own screen of smoke that acted as an entrance to this lair. Their fight pushed them closer and closer to the smoke. With every step the Witch fought harder.
Again, the blonde woman attacked by drenching the Witch in water. The Witch didn’t melt away like last time, but it still pained her. She screamed and pulled at the patches of hair on her head.
Water injured the Witch. Her lair was created from pure fire, an altered reality from the world that thrived on water.
“Force her out!” I shouted. My voice was sore from screaming. Proper words were difficult to form since I hadn’t used my voice in days. “The water hurts her! She can’t—!”
My body was wracked by coughs. I’d screamed too much, breathed too much. The air in this place hurt to breath but it was better if you stayed silent. Perhaps a trick of the magic to keep us children quiet.
I needed to be free. These intruders had to save us. My parents had given their lives to free me. They failed, but maybe these intruders had the power to beat her. I was only a shapeshifter, but one of them was a warrior and the other had elemental magic.
And water hurt the Witch.
After the coughs subsided, I screamed again. Spit ran down my chin from the coughing.
“There’s water outside! Without the disguise the real air will hurt her!”
The warrior turned to look at me, but I’m not sure he actually saw me. More like he just realized that the Witch had a bunch of children locked in cages. His eyes hardened and he faced the Witch again.
Now, instead of just fighting the Witch, he pushed her closer and closer to the smoke entrance. The blonde’s elemental magic coated the warrior in water armor that the Witch’s blood magic failed against.
Each step closer to the smoke made the Witch angrier. I saw it in her eyes. She wanted to murder the intruders.
When they were close enough, the Warrior pushed forward with his sword and swept the Witch’s legs out from underneath her. She fell backward, unable to break her fall.
I couldn’t see beyond the smoke barrier, but she screamed. The barrier muffled the screams, but we all heard it. All of us children sagged against the bars of our cages when the smoke started to clear. Proper water-infused air filled the space again.
The Witch was dead. What a relief.
It was the warrior who reached my cage first. His green eyes sparkled with excitement.
He liked fighting. When he pulled at my cage, the door stuck. A second tug at the bars and the door violently swung out. The shriek of rusted metal filled my ears.
The cages must have unlocked when the Witch died, but the introduction of water into the air rusted the metal hinges.
Once I was free, I rushed over to the other children and yanked hard at the cages, helping the warrior and the blonde in their efforts. I didn’t know the other children well, but we’d been stuck in the horror together. We were forever bonded.
Children jumped into their parents’ arms, giving tight hugs. Mothers cried. Fathers pretended not to cry, but they hugged their children just as hard.
Every child that I’d been caged with was reunited with their parents. But not me. I had no parents to go home to. The Witch had killed them when they tried to protect me. I wasn’t even from this town, at least I didn’t think so. It was hard to be certain without seeing my parents’ faces.
The warrior and the blonde goddess stood on the sidelines like I did. They didn’t belong here either while children and parents reunited. It was written on their faces. They both looked like they’d lost something. Perhaps they’d also lost their parents like I had.
Once tear-filled reunions finished, a handful of parents approached the warrior and the goddess to thank them for their help. I knew my parents would have been there with them, thanking these brave people for saving me.
The warrior nodded his head but the blonde graciously accepted the thanks like it was a gift. She seemed very good with people.
Soon, night started to fall. The sky turned orange and then purple. I watched the warrior and the goddess walk away with matching somber expressions. I couldn’t ask what they’d lost, but maybe I could fill the void of what I’d lost.
“Wait!” I ran after them. They kindly stopped to hear what I had to say.
“Oh,” the blonde woman said. “Do you need help finding your guardian?”
I wasn’t going to cry. Not now. I forced back my tears. “They’re dead. They fought the Witch and lost.”
“We’re sorry,” the young man said.
Up close, it was easier to tell their ages. It was obvious they were still teenagers. Perhaps they were around eighteen-years-old, four or five years older than me. And yet, they both seemed so world-weary.
“I want to join you. On your journey. Or whatever it is you’re doing,” I insisted.
“It might get dangerous.” The warrior shook his head.
“I have powers.” I held out my arm with the bracelet on it. For some reason, my powers were still dampened. “This stops my shapeshifting ability, but if we could get it off—”
The blonde gently took my wrist in her hands. I didn’t see what she did exactly, but there was a pulse of elemental magic and then the metal bracelet crumbled to dust.
“A magic lock. Clever.” She let her hands fall away. “When we fought her, we needed water magic to beat the witch herself, but fire magic to undo the bracelet’s spell.”
“What a goddess,” I breathed. This woman was so amazing, and her powers were impressive.
She just laughed, “Compliment appreciated dear, but I'm not a Goddess. My name is Celest. And this Robin.”
Robin nodded his head. “Yes, good to meet you. Shapeshifting, you said?”
I rushed ahead of them on the path, eager to use my powers. As I ran, my body shrank until the leaves on the ground swallowed me whole. An ant! When I laughed, relief rushing over my skin, I changed form again until I was a cackling hyena. Then I was a girl again, just me. A human.
When I faced them, they seemed impressed by my powers. Celest even looked like she found my laughter infectious and wanted to join in.
“I’m Gabrielle.”
“Well, Gabrielle,” Robin said, walking until he fell in step with me. “I guess you’ll be joining us for our journey”
Celest joined us, walking at my other side.
As a group of three we walked away from the village, in the direction of the setting sun.
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 2, 2024 2:37:45 GMT
321 LITTLE GABRIELLE! Gabrielle:  Gabrielle: "DON'T CALL ME LITTLE!!" Had to do it  |
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Post by Valhalla Erikson on May 2, 2024 2:45:48 GMT
And with that, I'm taking a break. Between finishing up the first installment of this series and a rather.....ahem love story involving Carmella, Sammy, Lilith, and Ramona I am giving my muse a well-deserved vacation. She'll return sometime in August.
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Post by superkamiguy1 on May 2, 2024 3:25:48 GMT
WILL GIVE A PROPER RESPONSE TO THIS AND THE PRIVATE MESSAGES TOMORROW MAN BECAUSE I'LL HAVE THE WHOLE AFTERNOON OPENED UP! GOODNIGHT FOR NOW! |
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Post by superkamiguy1 on May 2, 2024 21:41:26 GMT
The Witch's Cauldron
Gabrielle
The Witch had kept me trapped in this cage for maybe a week. It was impossible to
accurately count the days when the smoke created clouds that blocked out the sun. Every
perceived day was bleak.
I itched at the red, raw skin beneath the too tight metal bracelet around my right wrist.
The Witch had imbued it with some sort of magic that dampened my powers. Magic pushed at
my insides, demanding release, but this bracelet prohibited me from using any power.
My skin crawled like there were ants in my pores. Staying stuck in this form for too long
made me antsy, at least. Maybe I’d become an ant first if I could ever get free again.
There were voices. Voices that didn’t belong to me or the other children. Even the newest
of us had learned to be silent by now. The Witch hated when we made any noise. The voices
were very soft, either off in the distance or beyond the veil of smoke.
A crash.
Something heavy and metal slammed into my cage. I jumped and hit my head. My eyes
misted with tears. What was going on?
“You’re going to regret that!” The Witch screeched.
When I could see through my tears, I saw that a large upturned metal pot rested against
the side of my cage. The Witch must have thrown it at me.
Regret what? I hadn’t done anything.
Then I saw a red-haired, pointy-eared warrior slash a sword against the Witch. She
screeched again and fought back.
I perked up in my cage. The other children in their cages spoke at first in hushed whispers
and then cheered on the intruder as he struck blow after blow against the Witch.
Another intruder joined the fray of the fight. She was a blonde young woman with pointed ears who almost looked like some kind of goddess. There was an aura about her that spoke of divine insight and power. Every time the warrior fought the Witch back with his blade, this goddess slammed bolts of elemental magic into the Witch’s chest.
They both fought well, even though the blonde woman didn’t seem combat-trained. She wielded her magic well. I’d always wanted to meet an elemental. Their powers were so much different than my ability to shapeshift into different animal forms.
The Witch fought back with her blood magic. She’d stolen blood from some of the kidnapped children, but not all of us. I couldn’t quite understand what she was doing with the rest of us, but the longer we stayed here the weaker we felt.
“You’ll never take them!” The Witch hissed.
There was nothing outwardly terrifying about the Witch. She appeared like a woman in her thirties, almost the same age as my mom is… was. She wasn’t ugly nor was she overly beautiful. At a first glance, her appearance was almost comforting. That was how she’d been able to take so many children. Some of us she’d stolen, fought for. Some of the other children had been tricked and lured into her lair.
Us children used our voices. We screamed like our voices held magic to aid our intruders in defeating the Witch. If I only had access to my magic, I’d become a lion or a bear and tear the Witch apart with my own claws.
With her blood magic, the Witch cast spells that ripped holes in the warrior’s clothes. His shirt was shreds in seconds.
The blonde intruder used her elemental magic to conjure water. It was an impressive feat since this place was created out of fire. The water sizzled and evaporated into steam. Still, the blonde tried again, a sphere of water forming in front of her.
When the Witch was properly distracted by the warrior, who’d managed to slice deep into her arm, the blonde threw the sphere of water. The water drenched the warrior and the Witch. A bloodcurdling scream left the Witch’s mouth. The warrior looked refreshed and confident as he slashed again.
The Witch managed to dodge the slash, but her face started to melt. In a few moments, the Witch that had looked like a woman in her thirties suddenly looked much older. Perhaps a hundred years old. Her skin was sagging and wrinkly. The skin draped over her skeleton like it was no more than fabric. No muscle and no fat, just a skeleton covered in flesh fabric.
Somehow, the Witch had made herself look younger.
I thought about how weak I felt. How, the longer I stayed here the weaker I seemed to feel. The others felt it too, I could tell. Either from giving blood or… whatever she was taking from us.
It should have occurred to me sooner that she took children for a reason. The blood of the more innocent children, the youngest of us, fueled her magic. For the rest of us, our souls fed her youthful disguise.
Hopefully, we’d all free soon and recover what the Witch had taken from us.
The red-haired warrior pushed the Witch back until she was cornered against her own screen of smoke that acted as an entrance to this lair. Their fight pushed them closer and closer to the smoke. With every step the Witch fought harder.
Again, the blonde woman attacked by drenching the Witch in water. The Witch didn’t melt away like last time, but it still pained her. She screamed and pulled at the patches of hair on her head.
Water injured the Witch. Her lair was created from pure fire, an altered reality from the world that thrived on water.
“Force her out!” I shouted. My voice was sore from screaming. Proper words were difficult to form since I hadn’t used my voice in days. “The water hurts her! She can’t—!”
My body was wracked by coughs. I’d screamed too much, breathed too much. The air in this place hurt to breath but it was better if you stayed silent. Perhaps a trick of the magic to keep us children quiet.
I needed to be free. These intruders had to save us. My parents had given their lives to free me. They failed, but maybe these intruders had the power to beat her. I was only a shapeshifter, but one of them was a warrior and the other had elemental magic.
And water hurt the Witch.
After the coughs subsided, I screamed again. Spit ran down my chin from the coughing.
“There’s water outside! Without the disguise the real air will hurt her!”
The warrior turned to look at me, but I’m not sure he actually saw me. More like he just realized that the Witch had a bunch of children locked in cages. His eyes hardened and he faced the Witch again.
Now, instead of just fighting the Witch, he pushed her closer and closer to the smoke entrance. The blonde’s elemental magic coated the warrior in water armor that the Witch’s blood magic failed against.
Each step closer to the smoke made the Witch angrier. I saw it in her eyes. She wanted to murder the intruders.
When they were close enough, the Warrior pushed forward with his sword and swept the Witch’s legs out from underneath her. She fell backward, unable to break her fall.
I couldn’t see beyond the smoke barrier, but she screamed. The barrier muffled the screams, but we all heard it. All of us children sagged against the bars of our cages when the smoke started to clear. Proper water-infused air filled the space again.
The Witch was dead. What a relief.
It was the warrior who reached my cage first. His green eyes sparkled with excitement.
He liked fighting. When he pulled at my cage, the door stuck. A second tug at the bars and the door violently swung out. The shriek of rusted metal filled my ears.
The cages must have unlocked when the Witch died, but the introduction of water into the air rusted the metal hinges.
Once I was free, I rushed over to the other children and yanked hard at the cages, helping the warrior and the blonde in their efforts. I didn’t know the other children well, but we’d been stuck in the horror together. We were forever bonded.
Children jumped into their parents’ arms, giving tight hugs. Mothers cried. Fathers pretended not to cry, but they hugged their children just as hard.
Every child that I’d been caged with was reunited with their parents. But not me. I had no parents to go home to. The Witch had killed them when they tried to protect me. I wasn’t even from this town, at least I didn’t think so. It was hard to be certain without seeing my parents’ faces.
The warrior and the blonde goddess stood on the sidelines like I did. They didn’t belong here either while children and parents reunited. It was written on their faces. They both looked like they’d lost something. Perhaps they’d also lost their parents like I had.
Once tear-filled reunions finished, a handful of parents approached the warrior and the goddess to thank them for their help. I knew my parents would have been there with them, thanking these brave people for saving me.
The warrior nodded his head but the blonde graciously accepted the thanks like it was a gift. She seemed very good with people.
Soon, night started to fall. The sky turned orange and then purple. I watched the warrior and the goddess walk away with matching somber expressions. I couldn’t ask what they’d lost, but maybe I could fill the void of what I’d lost.
“Wait!” I ran after them. They kindly stopped to hear what I had to say.
“Oh,” the blonde woman said. “Do you need help finding your guardian?”
I wasn’t going to cry. Not now. I forced back my tears. “They’re dead. They fought the Witch and lost.”
“We’re sorry,” the young man said.
Up close, it was easier to tell their ages. It was obvious they were still teenagers. Perhaps they were around eighteen-years-old, four or five years older than me. And yet, they both seemed so world-weary.
“I want to join you. On your journey. Or whatever it is you’re doing,” I insisted.
“It might get dangerous.” The warrior shook his head.
“I have powers.” I held out my arm with the bracelet on it. For some reason, my powers were still dampened. “This stops my shapeshifting ability, but if we could get it off—”
The blonde gently took my wrist in her hands. I didn’t see what she did exactly, but there was a pulse of elemental magic and then the metal bracelet crumbled to dust.
“A magic lock. Clever.” She let her hands fall away. “When we fought her, we needed water magic to beat the witch herself, but fire magic to undo the bracelet’s spell.”
“What a goddess,” I breathed. This woman was so amazing, and her powers were impressive.
She just laughed, “Compliment appreciated dear, but I'm not a Goddess. My name is Celest. And this Robin.”
Robin nodded his head. “Yes, good to meet you. Shapeshifting, you said?”
I rushed ahead of them on the path, eager to use my powers. As I ran, my body shrank until the leaves on the ground swallowed me whole. An ant! When I laughed, relief rushing over my skin, I changed form again until I was a cackling hyena. Then I was a girl again, just me. A human.
When I faced them, they seemed impressed by my powers. Celest even looked like she found my laughter infectious and wanted to join in.
“I’m Gabrielle.”
“Well, Gabrielle,” Robin said, walking until he fell in step with me. “I guess you’ll be joining us for our journey”
Celest joined us, walking at my other side.
As a group of three we walked away from the village, in the direction of the setting sun.
And thus! Little Gabrielle joins the party! Nice touch in having the battle be from her perspective and it was an epic and well done battle too! This story is really taking off and I'm loving it! Gabrielle's Shapeshifting Power is going to be a very useful asset to their growing team and one can only imagine the potential applications of combining it with Celest's magic and Robin's fighting skills! This is going awesomely! |
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